Melbournaires

Melbournaires
Type of post: "In Harmony" Newsletter
Sub-type: No sub-type
Posted By: Dick Bushell
Status: Current
Date Posted: Mon, 18 Feb 2019

As the morning sun peeked over the Sydney Myer Music Bowl and highlighted the rolling parkland of Kings Domain, another beautiful Melbourne day was about to welcome Australia Day 2019. Apart from the thousands of Australians from dozens of countries displaying their national costumes and heritage, another offering for the day was the pending entertainment in the Domain.

The Melbournaires had once again been invited to this quite prestigious event organized by the RACV, and were the lead act of the day. Warm-up time was under the trees in the park, where a few curious on-lookers were absorbed by the techniques involved. The layout was slightly changed from previous shows, in that tables and chairs were appropriately placed to allow more families, more comfort, and more encouragement to linger longer and catch all of the entertainment.

The Melbournaires sang for thirty six minutes interrupted only by the ubiquitous helicopter which unfortunately these days, is par for the course when large crowds gather. The sound system however, was much improved, and the constantly increasing number of listeners, seemed to be enjoying the amazing sounds of barbershop harmony. 26 members of the Melbournaires were present, (25 were requested,) and with MD Ians’ clever arrangement of singers on the stage, the full range of harmonies could be heard drifting across the colourful landscape.

It was soon time for the procession to start, which is another highlight of the day as the dancing, drumming, and unique instrumentals, drew many more families and supporters through the venue. Altogether  a wonderfully inspiring day, and one the Melbournaires look forward to every year.

Terry Phillips